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1st March 2005 Archive

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  • Couple defeats Merrill Lynch's stock rating system

    $1m aberration

    The case doesn't have the big name analysts, damaging documents or internet stocks. But a dispute between a pair of small-time investors and Merrill Lynch does have the same allegations of hyping shares that surrounded a high-profile settlement between major brokerage houses and the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commmission) …

    Financial News 1 Mar 2005, 00:07

  • Intel confirms 64-bit Celeron scheme

    IDF Spring 05 It's punching out Smithfields too

    Intel today publicly confirmed its AMD64-like 64-bit addressing system, EM64T, will be brought to the company's budget Celeron processor line "this year". The chip maker also revealed that its dual-core Pentium 4 processor, 'Smithfield', is now in production. Speaking to reporters ahead of the opening tomorrow of Intel …

    PCs 1 Mar 2005, 00:38

  • ATI ships AGP-edition X850 XT graphics chip

    X800 XL too

    ATI today announced AGP 8x versions of its Radeon X800 XL and X850 XT graphics chips, three months after it launched the PCI Express versions. The new chips are pitched at customers looking to upgrade the graphics in older PCs, much as ATI continued to support PCI after the more advanced, graphics-specific AGP bus had become …

    System Builder 1 Mar 2005, 01:51

  • Service levels more important than e-gov deadlines: survey

    Who'da thought it

    The government's 2005 deadline for e-enabling services is no longer the main concern of IT managers in the public sector, according to a survey. Although the deadline is still a concern for 70 per cent of IT managers, more than 80 per cent reckoned service improvement was more of an issue. The techies also reaffirmed a long …

    Policy 1 Mar 2005, 10:00

  • Getronics buys PinkRoccade

    Going Dutch

    Getronics, the Dutch computer services firm. has bought PinkRoccade, also Dutch, for €355m. Post-acquisition, Getronics is the biggest computer services business in its home country and it also becomes a more significant player in the UK, where it doubles in size. The enlarged group claims pro forma annual revenues of €3bn and …

    Financial News 1 Mar 2005, 10:02

  • GlobalFlyer and Fossett take to the skies

    Around the world in 80 hours

    The Virgin GlobalFlyer, piloted by Steve Fossett, successfully lifted off at 0500GMT this morning from Salina, Kansas. Fossett aims to make the first non-stop solo flight around the world without refuelling aboard the Burt Rutan-designed vehicle which took to the skies carrying four times its own weight in fuel. The take-off …

    Science 1 Mar 2005, 10:05

  • Readers embrace napalm death

    Letters Homemade explosives? Those were the days...

    Our report into the napalm-brewing teen and his subsequent brush with bomb disposal provoked a small wavette of nostalgia among incendiary readers, plus a few tips on how you too can entertain your mates with a bit of amateur chemistry: I remember me & my mates nearly burning my shed down making napalm from petrol and soap …

    Letters 1 Mar 2005, 10:25

  • HP whacks own storage software in favor of AppIQ

    Friend with benefits

    Goodbye, HP OpenView Storage Area Manager. Hello, AppIQ. HP this week announced that it will give the boot to OpenView SAM in favor of AppIQ's StorageAuthority storage resource management (SRM) software. In so doing, HP mimics the likes of Hitachi, Sun Microsystems and SGI - all of which have partnered with the wee AppIQ. HP …

    Storage 1 Mar 2005, 10:36

  • 15,000 jobs to go if Qwest/MCI gets green light

    Still, it would 'unlock value from each standalone firm'

    Up to 15,000 jobs would be lost if Qwest succeeds in snapping up MCI. Details of the job cuts were outlined in a slide presentation posted on Qwest's web site covering the telco's bid to acquire MCI. Qwest claimed should it scupper the £6.7bn Verizon/MCI deal agreed two weeks ago, its proposals would create a "superior …

    Broadband 1 Mar 2005, 10:56

  • China sends DVD royalties South

    We've got our own format, thanks

    In an attempt to woo China back into the fold, the group of manufacturers responsible for setting royalties on DVD discs and equipment has slashed the rates that licensees must pay. DVD6C, which represents five Japanese manufacturers plus Warner Home Video and IBM, has cut the royalty rate for DVD players and drives by 25 per …

    Personal 1 Mar 2005, 11:11

  • MS launches online dating agency for dealers

    Desperately seeking distribution

    Microsoft has set up an online business networking forum for its resellers. It's called Partner Channel Builder (here) and it is open to Microsoft Gold Certified and Certified Partners only. The idea is that members hook up to sell more stuff or, as Microsoft puts, it "form new alliances and deliver complete end-to-end …

    Channel 1 Mar 2005, 11:13

  • EC rebuffs Parliament's patent restart request

    Non!

    The European Commission is refusing to restart the legislative progress of the controversial European software patent directive. In January, the Parliament - which unlike the Commission is elected, rather than appointed - voted to scrap the Commission's proposed Computer Implemented Inventions Directive (CIID). The Commission …

    Developer 1 Mar 2005, 11:33

  • Real Madrid cries foul against online bookies

    Intellectual property clash

    Spanish superclub Real Madrid is waving the big stick against seven online bookies in an attempt to protect the intellectual property rights of five of its biggest names, the Guardian reports. The club says it has been proven that "these online betting companies use the name of Real Madrid and that of the majority of its …

    Media 1 Mar 2005, 11:55

  • KPN to axe 1,750 jobs a year

    Restructuring for a simpler IP world

    Dutch telecoms outfit KPN is to axe up to 1,750 jobs a year until 2010 as part of a major restructuring plan to cut costs and refocus its business on broadband and internet telephony. Said chief exec Ad Scheepbouwer: "Starting in 2005, we intend to have a big push in broadband and VoIP. This will have consequences for short- …

    Broadband 1 Mar 2005, 11:58

  • Yet another power failure hits Redbus

    Something 'blew up'

    Redbus Interhouse suffered a power failure this morning, leaving its irate customers to pick up the pieces once again. The colocation and managed services provider suffered a power outage on the 8th and 9th floors at its Harbour Exchange facility in the Docklands area of London at around 10.30 am this morning. At this stage it' …

    Broadband 1 Mar 2005, 12:44

  • Send-Safe spam tool gang evicted by MCI

    Botnet utility made homeless

    US telco MCI has caved in to mounting pressure and booted a site that sells spamming software off its network. Send-safe.com, which sells a package that uses broadband-connected PCs infected by viruses such as SoBig to distribute junk mail, has been left searching for a permanent home after 18 months with MCI. Send-Safe.com …

    Security 1 Mar 2005, 13:13

  • Sony Ericsson launches 'Walkman'

    It's ... a phone

    Sony Ericsson unveiled a music phone in London today which revives the 'Walkman' brand first introduced by parent company Sony 25 years ago. But it's much more of a phone that does music than a great leap forward in portable audio. The Sony Ericsson W800 is a 100g phone that plays MP3 and AAC files, features a Memory Stick Duo …

    Mobile 1 Mar 2005, 14:03

  • Bagle variants served up with spam

    Trojan version goes into 'stealth mode'

    Spamming tactics are being used to distribute multiple versions of a new Trojan. The malware is similar to the Bagle email worm except for the absence of email spreading functionality. Most of the samples seen so far include a ZIP attachment which, when opened, includes a program file named "doc_01.exe" or "prs_03.exe", or some …

    Security 1 Mar 2005, 14:35

  • Is the Mac Mini Apple's future 'smart' iPod Dock?

    Probe points to integrated player port

    Was the Mac Mini originally intended to sport an integrated iPod Dock? That's the suggestion made by one electronics specialist who's taken a closer look than most at the compact Mac's internal workings. The Apple machine's optical drive connects to the motherboard not by a cable but is attached directly to an Ultra ATA-100 …

    Mac Channel 1 Mar 2005, 14:48

  • Sony Vaio VGN-FS115B 'Sonoma' notebook

    Review The latest technology - at a budget price

    The Vaio VGN-FS115B is one of the first machines we've seen based on Intel's new 'Sonoma' platform. Intel launched Sonoma as the next generation Centrino standard back in January, and it brings with it some key advantages over the outgoing technology, writes Riyad Emeran. The major advancement with Sonoma is PCI Express …

    Reviews 1 Mar 2005, 15:07

  • Ebbers recalls shock of discovering WorldCom fraud

    'No earthly idea that that would occur'

    Bernie Ebbers said he was "shocked" when he first found out about the massive accounting fraud that floored giant telco WorldCom. He told a New York court yesterday that his grasp of technology and accounting were limited and that he was completely in the dark about the fraud. "I never thought anything like that had gone on," …

    Broadband 1 Mar 2005, 15:20

  • Clint sets Dirty Harry on spotty youths

    Go ahead punk - buy my game

    There is some cheery news today for those readers who like their video games to feature men in slightly flared suits deploying .44 Magnums against snivelling ne'er-do-wells - Clint Eastwood will voice a new Dirty Harry adaptation which aims to "introduce this memorable film character to new generations on a medium they …

    Bootnotes 1 Mar 2005, 15:48

  • Centerprise buys disaster recover firm

    Would you Adam and Eve it

    Centerprise International, the UK PC builder, has acquired disaster recovery specialist Adam Continuity for an undisclosed seven-figure amount. The deal, announced today, enables Centerprise to add specialist disaster recovery services to its portfolio and gives it access to Adam Continuity's customesr, which includes many blue …

    System Builder 1 Mar 2005, 15:59

  • Space is the place, says Esther Dyson

    Fly her to the moon. Please.

    In a remarkable case of life imitating satire, Esther Dyson has decided to host a space conference. No, we're not making this up - and no, we can't think of anyone more appropriate. "It's not that there aren't space conferences, but nothing as tacky and commercial as we want to be," Silicon Valley's space cadet tells the New …

    Science 1 Mar 2005, 16:14

  • Hitachi hikes consumer disk production

    Taking the market an inch at a time

    Hitachi will double its output of consumer hard drives this year as it strives to take advantage of the burgeoning MP3, PVR and mobile phone markets. The vendor said it will also “tailor” product development of its consumer drives to those markets. Hitachi will double the output of its one inch Microdrive as it targets the …

    Storage 1 Mar 2005, 16:27

  • Gartner trims chip forecast

    It'll get better before it gets really bad

    A slowing memory sector will drag down the chip market as a whole this year, prompting research group Gartner to predict almost flat growth for the next two years. Reuters reported yesterday that the research firm has trimmed its 2005 semiconductor forecast from 5.2 per cent to 3.4 per cent. Next year will be little better, …

    Personal 1 Mar 2005, 16:46

  • Redbus power failure - companies form group to voice concerns

    Still no word from Redbus

    The power failure that hit Redbus Interhouse's Docklands location on Tuesday morning was still causing widespread disruption Tuesday afternoon for companies that have seen their businesses knocked for six. Mike Tims, founder and chief exec of financial news service mtn-i has spent most of the day at Redbus' Harbour Exchange …

    Broadband 1 Mar 2005, 17:20

  • Insecure indexing risk dissected

    How did THAT get out?

    It's embarrassing when future PR items, upcoming security advisories or boilerplates for obituaries that are not meant to be visible to external users drift into the public domain. These documents might get accidentally uploaded to the wrong part of a website but mischievous attacks can also play a role. Web application …

    Security 1 Mar 2005, 17:32

  • Intel dual-core Smithfield to ship as Pentium D

    IDF Spring 05 HyperThreading dropped

    Intel's first desktop dual-core processor, 'Smithfield', will launch next quarter as the Pentium D, the chip giant revealed today. It also said that the part will not support HyperThreading, a key feature of the most recent generations of the Pentium 4. Instead, HT will be used to differentiate the dual-core Pentium Extreme …

    PCs 1 Mar 2005, 20:11

  • Intel details twin 'desktrino' platforms

    IDF Spring 05 One for the office, one for home

    Intel's 'desktrino' Centrino-style desktop platforms will come in two varieties, the chip maker revealed today: one for home PCs, the other for office-oriented machines. The platforms' go-to-market names have not yet been made public, but the their codenames, respectively 'Anchor Creek' and 'Lyndon', were revealed today. The …

    PCs 1 Mar 2005, 20:37

  • Intel to ship dual-core Xeon MP in Q1 06

    IDF Spring 05 90nm Paxville to accompany 65nm Xeon DP Dempsey

    Intel will ship one further 90nm Xeon MP processor, codenamed 'Paxville', before moving the family to 65nm. Paxville will, however, mark the Xeon MP line's shift to a dual-core design, set to take place during the first quarter of next year, Intel digital enterprise group VP Stephen Smith said today. It will ship in the same …

    Servers 1 Mar 2005, 21:15

  • HP and Intel hire Asian helpers to make Itanium cheap

    IDF Spring 05 Itanic sails offshore

    What's the key to Itanium's future success? Cheap, Asian labor. HP and Intel have decided to tap Asian server design and manufacturing teams to come up with a low-cost Itanium server. This approach, similar to that used for today's x86 servers, would bring the cost of a low-end Itanium server down from about $10,000 today to …

    Servers 1 Mar 2005, 21:21

  • Intel drops 'Vanderpool' handle

    IDF Spring 05 Chip virtualisation tech to be called... er... Virtualisation Tech

    Intel's 'multiple systems, one chip' system, previously codenamed 'Vanderpool', will now take on the rather more prosaic moniker, Intel Virtualisation Technology (VT), outgoing CEO Craig Barrett said today. VT is expected to debut next quarter when Intel launches 'Smithfield', its dual-core Pentium desktop processor, a year …

    System Builder 1 Mar 2005, 21:30

  • Intel preps Truland, Bensley Xeon platforms

    IDF Spring 05 Yes, it's 'servertrino'

    Intel has revealed a little more about its plans to extend its platform focus into the server market once it has rolled out its 'desktrino' desktop platform. The chip giant today said it has two Xeon-class platforms planned. One, codenamed 'Bensley', is based on the Xeon DP, the other, designed to promote Xeon MP, is dubbed ' …

    Servers 1 Mar 2005, 22:17

  • Restrict freedom to preserve liberty: cunning Home Office plan

    Analysis How the Terror Act does it

    Who gets to switch your life off? On what grounds, and what can you do about it? And at what point does tagging, surveillance and curtailment of movement constitute deprivation of liberty? Prison definitely counts as deprivation, but what about the graduated scale of technological "prisons without bars" (David Blunkett's words) …

    Media 1 Mar 2005, 22:23